Poury Azimi

Poury Abdolmohamad Azimi passed away peacefully in his longtime Metairie home on January 21, 2015 surrounded by his family. He was born in Shiraz, Iran on November 19, 1935. After graduating high school in Shiraz, he moved to the United States in 1953 to pursue a college degree in business management at Long Beach State University. Throughout his life he lived in many different states, including Kansas, New York, Oklahoma, and California where he honed his skills as both a businessman and chef, eventually ending up in New Orleans, Louisiana in the 1970s to open up his own restaurants. He owned, managed, and cooked at several of his own restaurants, including Scheherazade, Poury’s French Cuisine, and finally Flaming Torch, where he used his signature torch method of cooking gourmet food. His cooking style dazzled many, and even landed him an appearance on an airing of Tonight Starring Jack Paar. In addition to cooking, Poury had a passion for watching basketball and football, especially the Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Saints, and also adored animals, including his countless pets over the years. He enjoyed spending time with and watching his family grow over the years, never hesitating to attend a dance recital or a karate class. His glowing presence and laid-back nature will be missed by many of his dear friends and family. Poury is predeceased by his mother Safieh Ansari Azimi; his father Mohammad Reza Azimi; his sister Afsaneh Azimi; his mother-in-law Bette Bundy Tara and father-in-law Dr. Hamid Tara. He is survived by his daughter Arezou Sharif, as well as his loving wife Suzanne Tara Azimi and their three children Aryan, Safieh, and Jila Azimi. He also is survived by his brothers-in-law Dr. Harold Tara and Robert Tara; his sister Nahid Azimi and her daughters Atoussa Ardalan and Ponteha Adlgostar, his sister Zohreh Ardalan, and his brother Ali Azimi. There will be a private gathering of family in his memory. In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to the International Cancer Advocacy Network at askICAN.org.